Joe Biden declared Putin a “war criminal”.
War criminal - It is an amazing expression.
Most wars are a crime! Unjust. Unnecessary. Devastating.
They result in the death of thousands or millions. Destruction. Migrants.
War criminal - It is an ambivalent statement.
It almost always exclusively applies to your opponent.
Each party declares the enemy “war criminals”.
And their own soldiers “war heroes”.
Each side has its narrative.
Each side claims to be telling the truth.
Each side claims that the other side is lying.
Each side claims that their opponents are evil.
I was intrigued to look up the definition(s) of a “war criminal”.
You can check too. There are many. Here is one:
“The statute of the International Criminal Court defines war crimes. It is directed to conduct which takes place in the context of and was associated with an international armed conflict where the perpetrator was aware of factual circumstances that established the existence of an armed conflict. The enumerated crimes are: the transfer, directly or indirectly, by the Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, or the deportation or transfer of all or parts of the population of the occupied territory within or outside this territory; attacking protected objects; attacking undefended places; attacking personnel or objects involved in humanitarian assistance or peacekeeping mission; attacking objects or persons using the distinctive emblems of the Geneva Conventions; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects …..”
Is this what Joe Biden means?
Of course not.
If we apply this definition, which is the FIRST country that comes to mind?
How do you justify Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, Black Sites, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen,
West Bank, Golan heights …
The people who attacked these countries, annexed those territories,
changed the demographics, tortured the “prisoners”, are war heroes.
They got medals.
Who are the war criminals?
You be the judge.
We can only say: If everyone spoke and faced the truth, there will be no war.